COURT: Convicted Ripon paedophile admits more sexual offences

A convicted paedophile will spend the best part of a decade behind bars after he admitted more sexual offences against young boys.

John Michael Kendrew, 73, a former Merchant Navy sailor, was jailed for 10 years in March last year after a jury found him guilty of seven counts of indecent assault, five charges of gross indecency and one of buggery.

The offences happened when Kendrew was living in Pateley Bridge between 1982 and 1985. The two victims were teenage boys.

Last Friday, Kendrew, of Galphay, Ripon, appeared via live video link at York Crown to be sentenced for five separate sexual attacks on youngsters, possibly dating as far back as 1979.

Kendrew, at Hull Prison, admitted four counts of indecent assault and one of buggery in relation to the new offences, which came to light after the three under-age victims, now adults, came forward after reading about the disgraced pensioner’s jailing in the Harrogate Advertiser series last year.

Prosecutor Sophie Drake said the offences happened over several years after Kendrew lured the boys to his home.

The former travelling salesman and motorcycle enthusiast, who is married with a family, groomed the boys by showing them pornographic magazines and offering them goodies such as stickers.

One of the victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was offered an air rifle by Kendall, who won the boy’s trust before sexually assaulting him.

In a statement read out in court, the victim said that Kendrew had “taken away my childhood”. He had since succumbed to depression and described his life as a “living hell”, adding that Kendrew had “scarred me for life”.

The second victim, who was not even in his teens at the time of the offences, was also groomed by Kendrew, before luring him inside his house where the sexual abuse took place.

Ms Drake said Kendrew told the boy not to say anything to his mother “because she might get the wrong idea”.

The victim now suffered from depression and was about to undergo counselling “because he can’t erase the memories of what happened to him”, added Ms Drake.

The third boy was lured to wasteland behind Kendrew’s home where he was sexually abused.

Kendrew - who was looked upon as something of a local character before his crimes came to light - was arrested for the previous matters in January 2014 after the victims, now middle-aged, plucked up the courage to come forward.

As boys, they were driven to isolated spots by Kendrew, who would park up in quiet lanes and show them pornographic magazines, before sexually assaulting them. He also lured them to his home where he abused them while his wife was out.

Defence barrister Jon Gregg said Kendrew had now been in prison for over a year but remained a “sprightly” man for his age and his wife was standing by him.

Judge Paul Batty QC jailed Kendrew for six years, which will be consecutive to the 10 years he was given last year for the original charges. He will serve half of the total 16-year sentence and will be 80 before he is due for release.